Pattern Testing with @AylooKnits!
I am very excited to introduce Andrea of @aylooknits for today’s Tester Tuesday feature! If you’re anything like me, you love knitting and crocheting so much, sometimes you do it for hours on end and it can be…. well, painful! Well, Andrea is a Board-certified Orthopaedic Physical Therapist and pattern tester, full of incredibly useful tips for how to avoid and treat pain while knitting/crocheting. Please enjoy this interview and then go show her some support on Instagram and her website!
Tell us about @aylooknits! How and when did you get into yarn crafts? When and why did you start your account?
I learned how to knit in college, but didn't get serious about it until 7 years ago. This was when crafting blogs were huge and popular, and one of the sewing blogs I followed started showing off her knitting. After I took my board exams for physical therapy, I had 5 months between waiting for the results and looking for a job. I filled that time by learning to knit socks, and I haven't put down my needles since! I started my account a few years ago but didn't begin to use it seriously to connect with the knitting community on IG until the pandemic started. Since then, I've made so many good and close friends and I'm so grateful for that.
When did you start pattern testing and why? How do you select the patterns you want to test? What brings you back to pattern testing?
I began pattern testing in 2020 - I never felt confident enough in my knitting before that to commit to finishing on a deadline. My first pattern test was for @gavriellamakes, whom I'd met when I joined her local Austin knitting group. Since then, I've pattern tested more and more - I think I'm addicted to the idea of achieving a deadline.
I select patterns to test based on the values of the designer, as well as the design itself! I try to be mindful to choose garments where I know I can meet the testing deadline, and that will also be pieces that I can wear regularly in my wardrobe (I live in hot TX, so bulky or worsted sweaters don't get much use).
I noticed that you're a Board certified Orthopaedic Physical Therapist. Tell us a little bit about that!
I'm a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedic injuries and conditions. A lot of common injuries I see are low back/neck pain, sports injuries, overuse injuries, or people after any sort of orthopedic surgery (ACL repairs, rotator cuff repairs, etc.). Pretty much anyone with some sort of ache or pain in any joint or muscle in their body! The certification is an additional board exam that I sat for to test my orthopedic knowledge - it also notes that I have worked in the field for over 2000 hours and have a certain level of expertise.
Your Instagram page and website have a lot of helpful information and videos on exercises fiber makers can use to ease pain that may come along with knitting or crocheting. How did you get the idea to put together this information? Why do you think it is important information for the fiber community?
I began to notice people posting about knitting-related pains and aches, or even general pains and aches. From what I could see in comments, a lot of knitters/crocheters suffered from similar pains but not a lot of people were seeking any sort of professional help for it. There was a general mentality of "we just suffer through it for our craft!". These pains and aches are my bread and butter and what I help people with on a daily basis, so it horrified me a bit that people didn't even know they could get help for it beyond popping a pain pill. Once in a while I send short videos to my close family or friends when they ask questions about exercise/stretches and realized that the Instagram reels would be a good avenue for this! It's a short digestible way to get information out, and I can also demonstrate, which is important for doing the exercises correctly. I think this information is so important for the knitting/crocheting community because we are at risk for overuse or repetitive strain injuries, given the nature of our craft. A lot of us rely on our crafting to help with our mental health and wellness too, so it's just as important to take care of our physical health so we can continue to craft without detriment to our bodies.
What is one bad habit you see in the fiber community that can lead to injuries or pain? How would you recommend avoiding that?
Oh, there are several bad habits, but probably the worst one I see is pushing through pain while crafting in poor posture. It's similar to the "one more row" mentality. Many of us can feel that we're uncomfortable when we're crafting, but then the attitude of "oh just one more row! push through it to get this done!" makes us neglect the pain and we don't listen to our bodies. Doing this repeatedly over time is what leads to constant pain and injury. Also a lack of awareness of what exactly is causing the pain - which is why I made my "ID your pain generator" reel. Increased body awareness can only lead to building better and healthier habits. I recommend that everyone begin to practice identifying their pain, and also listen to when your body is telling you that it is uncomfortable and in pain - there's a good reason for that!
What is the main piece of advice that would you give to serial pattern testers/makers to improve their health/posture/avoid pain?
For serial pattern testers, the most important thing is to take a break when your body needs it. I know we are all operating on deadlines, but if you don't take a few hours off because your neck is starting to ache, it can only get worse and potentially get to a point where you're physically unable to finish your test without excruciating pain or injury.
The second is to also spend time exercising your upper back and core muscles to combat the long hours of sitting and being still.
The third is to try to change up your posture or position when you are knitting/crocheting - try standing up and knitting, or sitting on a different surface. Our bodies are built to move, and staying in one posture for more than 30min is really not ideal.
Is there anything you have coming up or that you’re excited about and want to share with us?
I have a website and Youtube channel where all my reels are uploaded as well, for crafters who may not be on IG. I'm also launching a Patreon tomorrow (Wednesday, April 14)! Subscribers will get weekly 5-10min exercise videos, and there will also be specialized videos such as Wrist Rehab, Tendinitis Care, Injury Prevention, etc. There will be monthly Live Q&A's where you can ask me specific questions, and for those interested, I will also make videos that go more in depth explaining the anatomical concepts behind my reels.
